Lt. Gen. Walter E. Buchanan III, commander of US Central Command Air Forces, praised the work of coalition forces at Bagram AB, Afghanistan, during a last trip through his area of responsibility. “Bagram has continued to evolve and has become more and more effective as an airlift center and producer of close air support,” said Buchanan. He noted that the Afghanis are beginning “to get on with the business of life,” adding that there is still “a long way to go,” but he believes the coalition “will be victorious.” Buchanan is scheduled to retire this spring.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.